Just Want You to Know
by potterfan36041
Summary: Kimberly left Tommy through a letter, as we all know, but what if there was more to it and what if a monster got in the way of Tommy finally finding it out? AU.
1. Chapter 1

Hell hath no fury like an angry Kimberly Hart, at least that was what they had all been told. Not many of them had ever seen Kimberly past the point of no return, when everything was tossed out the window and she truly let loose. The one man that had seen it in earnest had good reason to see it, he had tried, so hard to maintain their relationship, but things fell to the wayside and the letter from hell arrived at his doorstep close to a year ago. Since then, things had changed in Angel Grove, sure there were still monsters, but the now red ranger had lost his fire. No one knew what it would take to get that fire back or if it was even possible anymore. They knew he was not a lost cause, but they also knew that he was no longer the person that they had worked with for so long.

The practice for the tournament was going as planned and everyone hoped the outcome would be good, especially because of who it would benefit. Nothing like letting down a couple hundred kids to give them perspective, but Tommy could still not find his focus, the focus that had left him so suddenly a few months before. He, however, was not the one to get injured, as he secretly wished, but watched as his friend sailed out of the safety of the ring and onto the cold concrete below. He knew, before he saw, that there was no way Rocky could do this and it would take some sort of miracle to make everything right. He just didn't think that miracle might bring back his past.

"What do you mean they've been captured?" Tommy asked, after having rescued Legriot from the sure doom of the jungle and bringing him back to the command center. It was enough that Legriot's family was captured, he was not sure he could deal with anything else at the moment. If she had captured someone that would mean a rescue mission and it would also mean that it had to be someone that the rangers would feel a personal pull towards.

"You'll see," Divatox crooned as the image flashed of two divers in wet suits, one obviously female and petite. The lump that formed in his throat let him know this could only be one woman that he was looking as and as she pulled off her mask, he felt his knees weaken. It couldn't be her, it had to be someone else, Divatox could not have taken Kimberly. "Two rangers of your own."  
"Kimberly," Tommy breathed as he stared up at her and the others all gave him concerned looks. They all knew of the break up and the in turn 'relationship' that he had with Katherine. Everyone, even Katherine, saw that all being thrown out the window as he saw the love of his life trapped with some demented being. "Don't touch her."

"Touch her? Have I hit the jackpot?" Divatox asked with a smile looking at the rangers and seeing their startled faces. "Your precious rangers for Legriot?"

"In your dreams," Adam spoke up, quickly, as none of them trusted what Tommy might give away at the moment. She looked so different to him, it had been over a year since they had seen each other, a year since they had made love and promised to be there for each other forever. Obviously her opinion of forever was much shorter than his.

"Bring him or they die," Divatox said as Tommy's eyes flickered closed and then he barely nodded his head that they would bring Legriot.

Looking back on it, he should have known that there was no way that she would keep her word. When he got to the first body, he had just thought that they had knocked them out or done something to make it where they wouldn't swim. Although Adam tried to drag him back, he was desperate, he had to know if Kimberly was still trapped. Jason could be damned at this point, Kimberly was the only one that he was worried about. That was how he got here, sitting on this damn ship with new powers, a new teammate and a headache from hell. The perfect way to start a ranger rescue and as always, the perfect way to give him time to think.

"Tommy, are you all right?" Kat asked as she walked up to him on deck and he let out a sigh as he pulled her into a hug. "She's a tough girl Tommy, I'm sure that she can keep herself safe until we get there."

"I know," Tommy muttered under his breath as he reached for her hand and gave in a gentle squeeze. "I can't do this anymore Katherine, I'm sorry."

"Tanya and Adam made a bet that you wouldn't even make it back to the Command Center without saying that," Kat said with a smile as he looked over at her. She was a great deal taller than Kim and although that didn't bother him, she just didn't fit him the way that Kimberly had. He had come to the conclusion that no one would, no matter how hard they tried, his heart had been stolen and it was not going to be given to anyone else. "It's okay Tommy, we all know you love her. I just don't know why you even tried to move on in the first place."

"What options did she really give me?" Tommy asked as Justin let out a scream and he turned around to see the young boy in a fight. "Crap."

The fight that then ensued was nothing out of the ordinary, even for the fact that they were on some haunted vessel, heading to the island of something on a desperate search for their friends. Yeah, the battle wasn't bad, it was actually good, it gave the red ranger a much needed chance to not think about what was ahead.

"So, what did Tommy say?" Tanya asked as she and Kat lay down on the bed that they had declared their own as soon as they saw the sleeping arrangement. Tommy, who they all knew wouldn't sleep, had offered the two other beds to Justin and Adam. He had said that he could sleep on the floor, which they all knew was true.

"What we all knew was coming," Kat said with a sad smile as Tanya's eyes widened. "He's a good guy, we both know that Tanya, but I'll never fill the space that she left in his heart."

"So you're giving up?" Tanya asked as Kat shook her head no and then pulled out a letter from her pocket and passed it to her best friend.

"No, I'm just doing what she asked of me," Kat said as Tanya's eyes scanned over the letter and her mouth dropped open. "She knew that there would be a day when Tommy would be put in a situation like this and if the choice were to save me or to save her, I'd be a lousy second Tan. He doesn't know about the boy or that I've actually seen his child, it's her place to tell him."

"And if she doesn't this time?" Tanya asked as Kat shook her head as she smiled.

"She will Tanya, if I know anything about her now, I know that she will tell him when confronted by the facts of losing him again. It's why she came out here in the first place. Too bad that Divatox messed things up for her," Kat said as Tanya just looked at her in shock. How in the world could she be taking this break up so well? "I've known all along Tan, Jason and I have."

"And you went along with it?" Tanya said in an exclaimed whisper, afraid to wake the slumbering boys or even worse, draw Tommy back downstairs.

"Yes, because of him," Kat said as she nodded over to the man that had walked into the room and gave him a sad smile. "Tommy, why don't you get some rest?"

"It's no good to try to sleep," Tommy said as he sat down on the edge of the bed and placed his head in his hands. Every time he closed his eyes there was some flash of her, some memory that made him jerk awake. He couldn't rest like this, although he knew that his body needed it for the upcoming battle.

"Come here," Kat said, softly, as he looked back at her and he then followed her command and sat down directly in front of her. He felt her hands as they gently massaged out the knots and tangles that had become his muscles in the last few hours. As she did this, his mind started to slip away and his head began nodding towards his chest. Before Kat knew it, he was snoring and she and Tanya slowly lowered him into the bed before digging out some covers and laying down on the floor. Tommy would probably kill them in the morning for even allowing him to sleep, but it would be all right. The two of them had many more matters to discuss before morning light.


	2. Chapter 2

Night after night she regretted the letter that she had sent Tommy, what seemed like a lifetime ago. It was no different here, trapped in a freezing tank of water up to her mid calf, shivering as she tried to stay warm. She wondered about their baby, knowing that her parents would notice when she did not return at the time that she had set. She had left enough food and diapers for the child to last several days, but it was the fact that her parents might call her negligent that worried her the most. She couldn't lose him, not after everything else she had lost in the past year. When she had found out she was pregnant, her rationale had gone out the door and with it went that damn letter.

There were so many times she had reached for the phone and started to call him, started to tell him the truth. There had even been times when she had thought of buying a plane ticket back to Angel Grove and showing up on his doorstep. She missed him and she knew that she had to tell him and soon. It had been one thing when she was pregnant, her parents didn't ask if he was father, but when Caleb was born, it only took one look at him to know he was Tommy's. Ever since that day, she had quietly started working her way back to Angel Grove. Now she was practically at his doorstep and this had happened. Couldn't anything in their relationship just be easy for once?

"Kim…are you alright?" Jason asked as he reached over for her hand and felt exactly how cold she was. It was no walk in the park for him either, but he could see the blue tinge creeping into her hands and took them in his own. His main concern was to get her out of this alive, another life depended on her now and he would not be able to live with himself if he made it out of this and she didn't. He could not begin to think of the burden that he would have if that happened and he knew, he knew that if Tommy found out about Caleb and she had been killed, things would not be pretty. "Caleb's fine, you're the one I'm worried about."

"I'll be fine Jason," Kim reassured as he gave her a weak smile and then wrapped her in a strong hug, attempting to warm her body. She was far worse off than he was and he just hoped that they would be able to get to the place they were going in one piece, because if they could do that, then they would be able to fight back when necessary. "We just have to figure out how to get out of here. I don't want to be sacrificed."

"Neither do I," Jason said as they looked around and he saw the hatch. Of course it would be risky, but if they could open it, then they would be able to swim to safety or at least some relative term of it.

"What are you thinking?" Kim asked as she followed his line of sight and saw the hatch as well. "Jason, you can't possibly be thinking…"

"At the very least we get you out, it will work, if we can get it off fast enough and when we are close enough to shore. My depth meter says we're still too far out, but that will take some work before we can even begin to go," Jason said as Kim looked up at him and then barely nodded. There was really no choice in the matter at this point. If they both wanted to live then they needed to get out of here before they became the human sacrifices. "Hey, you're not going to leave him without a mom."

"Thanks," Kim said as she began helping him with the task of loosening the bolts and stemming the flow of water as it went from a trickle, to a steady flow, to a small stream over time. When the time came to leave, they let Bulk and Skull out and then they went. When her shirt caught, she was sure it meant a certain death, but Jason was good to his word and freed her from the bolt, but was then trapped himself. She didn't know what happened to him, she just knew that when she surfaced, he was nowhere nearby.

* * *

Tommy awoke early that morning and looked around the cabin. Adam and Justin were sleeping soundly in their beds, while Tanya and Kat had made pallets on the floor. He could not remember drifting off to sleep or them carefully placing him under the covers, but he was grateful to the both of them. He had not thought that he would be able to sleep at all last night, but somehow he had managed it, even if he was up at the crack of dawn.

He knew that he should probably avoid the upper deck, but he wanted to get away from the rest of them for a moment. It was not that they could read his thoughts, but he was less likely to be disturbed this way and that was what he needed right now. He needed to clear his head. He needed to be able to think of the mission that they had to accomplish. He needed to think of things besides her.

"Tommy?" Adam said as he walked up behind him and the red ranger turned to face him. They all knew that this was taking a lot out of him, but Adam knew it better than the others. Tommy had always needed his own space every once in awhile, but right now, things were different. He needed the space to get away from reality, but that was something that they did not have the luxury of escaping this time. Everything had to be thought through, to the very last detail, because if he lost her, they all knew that they would lose him completely this time.

"Hi," Tommy said with a half smile as Adam shook his head. He was trying to put up a good front for all of them, but Adam could tell it was killing him to not know exactly what was happening to Kimberly. They all knew he would gladly trade spaces with her in a heartbeat, but that was not the case and that would not happen. They just had to get there in time and get her out alive. It was not the first time that they had done something like this and it certainly would not be the last by the looks of things. Every expedition had its own hazards and this time it happened to be the lives of two rangers, two rangers that they cared about very much. "Look, I know what you're going to say, but right now I can't help but focusing on getting her back."

"Actually I was just coming up here to let you know that we're getting close," Adam said as Tommy looked over at him and saw the smile on his face. "We'll get to her in time Tommy, we always do."

"Yeah, but there's a first time for everything Adam, you know that," Tommy said as he walked with him to the front of the ship and they looked at the approaching land. "Go on and go scout the area, see where we'll be headed."

"What about you guys?" Adam asked as Tommy looked over at him with a smile.

"We'll follow you when you're ready," Tommy said as Adam nodded and then ran down to his zord so that he could head inland. He knew that Tommy wanted to hit the ground running once they got there and he didn't blame him. They would be wasting precious minutes by doing so. He watched as Adam's zord appeared from under the waves and headed towards shore. "Come on guys, we might as well strap in as well."

"Why?" Justin asked as Tommy looked down at him and he smiled. The boy was far too young to be doing this and although weirder things had happened, he had a feeling that this would not last very long.

"We don't need to waste time," Tommy said as Justin gave him a confused look.

"Why is that so important?" Justin asked as Tommy looked over at him and then let out a sigh. There was no reason to take his aggressions out on a kid who didn't know any better. Justin had no idea who Kimberly was or why she might even be important. He just knew that they were going on this mission and were supposed to be bringing back Legriot. That was Tommy's second priority, his first was to make sure that Kim got out of this safely. The letter had been all but forgotten over the last two days as his love had resurfaced with a vengeance, letting him know that he had never been in any state to even attempt to move on.

"Because I can't lose her," Tommy muttered as he walked on and Justin opened his mouth to ask another question, but instead turned to Kat and Tanya.

"Who's her?" Justin asked as they both smiled and then guided him downstairs to zords, just so they would be able to get going faster.

"Tommy! There's something you should know," Kat said as she walked up to him and he gave her a curious look. "Here, Kimberly sent it to me a couple months ago. I think it's time you have it."

"What would that be?" Tommy asked as he looked down at the picture and his mouth fell open. There she was, in a hospital bed, holding a little bundle as she weakly smiled at the camera. His heart constricted as he felt the tears start rolling down his cheeks. He knew exactly what this meant, exactly whose child it was without even seeing the baby's face. It was the gut instinct that he should have listened to months before when it had said that something was not right and now he knew what it was. "Why now?"

"I just thought you should know before we go in there. Just in case she's evil or something. She's the mother of your child Tommy, she'll come back for you, you just have to trust that," Kat said as he let out a half contained sob and she gave him a quick hug. "His name's Caleb and he looks exactly like you Tommy, that's why she was here in the first place. Now, get in your zord and remember this…it might help."

"Kat…" Tommy started as she was heading towards her own zord and he forced a smile, "…thank you."

"You don't have to thank me," Kat said with a smile as Tommy barely nodded and looked down at the picture again. Maybe, just maybe things would be all right after all.


	3. Chapter 3

She lay there on the shore, barely conscious of her surroundings and although she knew that she should move, her body wouldn't allow her. She heard the footsteps long before she saw any faces and when the savages picked her up off the ground, she began to fight. She had just escaped one damning place and now found herself in what could possibly be an even worse situation. Being sacrificed to an evil being would suck, but at least the rangers would know where to start with that one. This was a completely different story.

Soon enough she found herself in the ceremonial grounds and she feared what was about to happen to her. It seemed that the savages also wanted to appease to this being and she was the perfect fit for the title of sacrifice for them as well. When she heard the sounds of voices and footsteps, she thought that it might be the rangers. She, however, was disappointed when they rounded the corner and there stood Divatox, with Jason in a pair of iron cuffs. It seemed that they could not get away from this, no matter how hard they tried.

"Let her go," Jason said as Divatox looked between the two of them. She sensed nothing more than friendship between the two of them and a sense of protection from him, so she could not justify in her mind why he was so adamant. It would make sense for someone that was romantically involved, but it seemed that he was very far from that. "Just take me."

"I would if one would be acceptable, but it's not. Got to be two and the two of you are the best that I have seen in ages, really why did you get out of the ranger game? Did it become too hard for you? Did you lose someone precious?" Divatox asked as Kim turned her head towards them and Jason gave Kim a worried glance. She was exhausted, he could tell that much and he could also see that she had not been able to push aside Caleb from her thoughts and focus on getting out of this alive. He knew just how worried she was about her son, but right now she needed to worry about herself and nothing more. "Might as well begin, since the both of you are here."

"Our friends will come," Jason said, firmly, more for Kimberly than for himself at this point. She had to believe that there was hope that they wouldn't be sacrificed, that Tommy and the others would make it there in time to rescue them.

"Ha! What kind of friends would risk their lives for you? You are nothing but pathetic rangers that ran away from your duty!" Divatox shot off as they were hoisted into the air and they both began to struggle. Although neither of them had a great deal of energy left, they knew that every second they struggled was a second more that their friends would have to find them, save them.

"You don't know them very well, do you?" Kim shot back as a smile lit up her face. The rangers had arrived and by the grace of God they were not sacrificed yet.

"Oo, just in time, lower them," Divatox ordered as the rangers fought against their guard to try to make it to their fellow rangers.

"Kimberly!" Tommy yelled hoarsely, as he pushed through enemy after enemy. He didn't care if he had to dive into the lava to save her, he would. He would do anything to get to her in time.

"Tommy!" Kim yelled at the top of her lungs, as she curled up in a ball, trying to stay away from the molten lava below. "Tommy!"

"Hang on!" Tommy yelled as he ran for the crater, just in time for the two of them to be dipped and for an explosion to take place, which threw him back several feet. "Kim…"

The two beings that jumped out of the pool looked like Kimberly and Jason, but as soon as he looked in their eyes, he could see that that was not the case. Somehow that had been turned evil and somehow he was going to have to get at least one of them back. He knew that it would be a battle to win either of them over, but he knew things now that would help him get his point across.

"Kim, look at me," Tommy said as he confronted the woman in front of him with a kind of reckless abandon that he hadn't felt for a very long time. When he pulled off his helmet, he knew that she might kick his ass or remember him. He had to do everything that he could think of to get her back, she was the mother of his child and he wanted her to be the one to formally tell him this news. He did not want to hear it from anyone else in his life. "Kimberly, come on."

"Oh, poor baby," Kim said as she tossed him aside and he forced himself up. He was not going to give up on her that easily, he might have let her walk out of his life close to a year ago, but he was not going to let her do that now. "Find someone else."

"You heard her," Jason said as Tommy glared at him and then tossed him out of the way, before running after Kimberly, who was currently attacking Katherine.

"Kimberly!" Tommy yelled as he reached her and pulled her away from Kat. He placed a hand on each side of her face and forced her eyes to look up at him. He didn't care how many times she hit him or pushed him away he was not going to let go, not this time. "Look at me, I just want you to know I love you."

"Huh?" Divatox piped up as she had been watching the exchange between the two. The red ranger pleading for her to come back to him and the former ranger, casually throwing him away, except she could not move him this time. The words had been spoken that made it all better for everyone involved and Divatox did not know how she had not seen it earlier, how she had not seen what this particular ranger meant to the red.

"Tommy?" Kim questioned as her eyes shifted back to normal and he smiled down at her. "I need to tell you something."

"Not here, okay? We'll talk where it's safe. I want you to get out of here," Tommy said as he gave her a gentle kiss and she barely nodded. She was shocked that he had pressed his lips against hers, but she was not going to object. She had missed this man so much over the past few months and was grateful for any type of affection that he was willing to give. "Get to the zords, mine should let you in. Whatever happens, don't leave it."

"Tommy, I could help with…" Kim began as he shook his head no and then gave her a longer kiss.

"Just get yourself back there safe," Tommy whispered as she barely nodded and then headed out the way that she had come in. She knew that there was a real chance she could run into some savages, but right now she didn't think of those risks. She knew what Tommy was doing, she didn't know why he still cared so much, but she would let him, if he wanted.

"You might need this," Kat said as he looked over at the helmet she held out. "Legriot and his wife released Jason, he's heading out there as well."

"Let's kick ass," Tommy said to her as he pulled back on his helmet and she laughed. The fight was something to remember, that much was for certain, but for him that was nothing compared to the long ride home.


	4. Chapter 4

The rangers settled down on the boat in silence as they waited with baited breath to see what Kim and Tommy would do to each other. Several of them imagined an explosion, on at least one parties part, while others expected a semi-happy reunion. What they got was something that none of them thought they would ever see and several of them would recall in later years as the point where they knew just how much the two of them loved each other.

"Aren't you going to talk?" Kat asked as Tommy sat down on the bench next to her and he gave her a confused look. He had done enough talking over the last few hours to leave him hoarse and he just wanted to rest right now. The battle had taken so much out of him, but it had not been physically as much as it was emotionally. He had almost failed her, lost her, yet again and he did not like living with that on his conscience anymore. It was time that he stopped having to worry about losing her. "To Kimberly."

"She's asleep, I'm not going to wake her right now just for a talk," Tommy said as they all looked at him and he scratched the back of his neck from embarrassment. As soon as they had gotten back to the ship he had taken her into the back, fully intent on talking to her and setting things straight, but within moments of sitting down next to her she had started to drift off to sleep. He just hadn't had the heart to wake her, especially after knowing what she had been through recently. Being captured was one thing, but the fact was she was taking care of their child alone and that had to hurt her, as well as exhaust her. "I don't imagine she's been getting a lot of sleep lately."

"Why would you say that?" Justin asked as Tommy looked over at the boy and then around the table at the others. Adam was the only other person that seemed to be clueless and Tommy then soundlessly passed him the picture that Katherine had given him earlier that day, knowing that Adam would understand what it meant.

"You…you're…" Adam stuttered as Tommy nodded his head yes and he ran his hands through his hair. This was not something that he had thought would happen so soon in his life, but he couldn't turn his back now that he knew the truth. This baby deserved to have a father that loved him and he was going to do everything that he could to prove that love. "How are you taking this?"

"I'm happy," Tommy said with a smile as everyone's attention jerked to him. That had not been the adjective that most of them had thought would come out of Tommy's mouth upon finding out this news, many of them had thought he would resent Kim, but he seemed to be at ease with it all. One day, he might need an explanation, but right now he was just glad that she was safe and in a relatively good state after the day's events. "God knows how tough this has been on her and well…I could have done more, I could have gone after her, but I didn't. Yeah, we've got a lot of things to talk over, but he's still mine and nothing will change that."

"His name is Caleb," Jason said as Justin caught on to what they were talking about and gave Tommy a confused look. He was too young to be a father and with being a ranger that just seemed like it would be something that was against the rules.

"You have a kid?" Justin asked as Tommy gave him a rather embarrassed nod of the head yes.

"She doesn't know I know about him," Tommy said as Justin gave him a confused look. How could she not know that he knew about the child? Wouldn't she have had to be the one to tell him? "It's a long story Justin and right now all I want to do is sleep."

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you…" Jason trailed off as Tommy nodded that he had already thought about that. He desperately wanted that comfort of holding her in his arms again and knowing that everything would work out all right, that they would be able to get back to what they were before. He knew that it would be tough, but this was a step, everything was a step. "Go ahead then, none of us are going to stop you. I want him to have you in his life, even if it is only in the every other weekend sense."

"You know I can't do that," Tommy said as Jason nodded and watched as he stood and then walked to the back room where she was sleeping on the bed that he had slept on the night before. Liberating himself of his shoes, he crawled in under the covers next to her and was not surprised when she snuggled up against him and let out a content sigh.

"So you told him?" Jason asked as Kat looked down at her hands.

"Jason, please…I couldn't bear to see him in that sort of pain anymore and he deserved to know before we went out there today. If anything had gone wrong and he found out later, he would have never forgiven himself," Kat said as Jason nodded and she let out a frustrated sigh. "I know I probably ruined her plans, but…"

"It's all right, he deserved to know, especially with a chance of losing her," Jason said as Kat nodded and shook her head. "Yeah, I can't believe it either, to be honest with you."

"Have both of you seen him?" Adam asked as Jason and Kat nodded their heads yes. "How long have you known?"

"Several months, after she had him, I got the letter with the picture and when they got out here a couple days ago, I went and visited. He's a darling, no doubt that he's Tommy's," Kat said with a smile as she thought of the four month old boy that she had bounced on her lap only a few days before. She then let out an enormous yawn and rubbed her eyes in vain, trying to stay awake.

"I think all of you need to get some sleep," Jason said as they looked over at him. "You've all had a busy day, I can stand watch if you need someone to."

"Actually, we all should be able to sleep, it's going to take Divatox a couple weeks to regroup after that," Tanya said as Jason breathed a sigh of relief and they all walked into the room where they crawled haphazardly into beds and settled themselves.

* * *

"Umm," Kim murmured as she woke up to warmth enveloping her body and she forced her eyes open, to see who it might be. She was surprised as locks of brown hair clouded her vision and she forced herself not to gasp. She had never thought he would touch her again, much less hold her the way that he was right now. She wanted to watch him forever, afraid that when he woke up that this would be some cruel dream.

"Good morning," Tommy murmured as he felt her stirring in his arms and he smiled over at her. Her hair as sticking out at odd angles and she had bags under her eyes from lack of sleep, but she still looked absolutely beautiful to him. "You want to go up on deck and talk?"

"In a little bit," Kim sleepily said as she snuggled against him. "I've missed this."

"So have I," Tommy said as Kim smiled over at him and he ran his arm up and down her side. He could feel some changes in her body, but for the most part she was exactly the same as she had been the last time he had held her like this. At first she relaxed against him, but she suddenly stiffened when his hand ran over her stomach. He could not feel a huge difference, but it was enough to make her uncomfortable, enough to make her want to talk about it immediately instead of waiting. "Come on."

"I have some things to explain," Kim said as he nodded and sat down on one of the crates and she sat down not too far from him. "I wasn't completely honest in that last letter."

"I've figured that much out on my own Kim," Tommy said with a smile as she looked over at him. He didn't look mad, he didn't even look like he was going to be mad about anything that she said to him, including the pregnancy and the child she had hidden. It almost seemed as if he already knew and was just waiting to hear the words come from her mouth.

"Tommy, you have a son," Kim whispered as she looked down at the deck and the tears silently trailed down her cheeks. She knew that he was going to tell her how horrible she was, how he hated her, she just knew it. That was why she didn't expect to feel his lips crash down on hers in a kiss that reminded her of why she loved him so much. "Aren't you mad?"

"I could be, but…I can think of reasons why you did it and I can also say that I didn't come after you, although my heart told me something was wrong. If you'll let me be in his life, I'll do whatever you want me to," Tommy said as she stared at him and he gently caressed her cheek.

"I can't ask what I really want of you, Tommy. I lost the privilege of asking that sort of thing from you," Kim said as he gave her a look and he then reached over for her hand.

"I can ask, but only if you want me to," Tommy whispered as she looked up into his eyes and saw the sincerity and trust. He wanted her to tell him that she wanted to be his forever. He wanted to know that the ring that forever sat in his left pant pocket was not going to be a reminder that she had left him, that it was going to serve the purpose it was meant for.

"I want to love you again," Kim managed as she took in some shaky breaths while avoiding all eye contact with him. "But more importantly, I want you to love me again."

"I never quit," Tommy whispered in her ear before he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I want to see him."

"First thing when we get home," Kim said as he smiled and then pulled her into a crushing hug. "Thank you Tommy."

"For what?" Tommy asked as his hands went up to her hair and she leaned into his touch.

"For not giving up on me," Kim whispered as he smiled and then pulled her into him. She knew that she might not be completely forgiven, but she was well on the way to that desperately needed forgiveness. She didn't know if she would be able to live her life without him, especially with the son that reminded her so much of him every day, but it was his choice and she had to respect whatever it was that she choose.


	5. Chapter 5

"Tommy, you haven't explained to us why Kimberly is coming over," Leigh said as Tommy paced around the living room. He had not been sure how to break it to his parents that he was a father, so when Kim suggested that she bring Caleb over so that they could all meet him, he jumped at the chance. He desperately wanted to see his child, but he also wanted his parents to know the truth and this killed two birds with one stone. He just hoped that Kim would be up for whatever reaction that they had to this unexpected news.

"Leave him be, whatever the reason is it's got him pacing already. You don't need to add anymore stress to him," Michael said as Tommy gave him a grateful smile and he continued walking back and forth in front of the door. Any minute now she would arrive and he would see his son for the first time, he didn't know how he would react, only that the anticipation was killing him. He was sure that this is what it would have been like if he had been forced to wait in the waiting room while she delivered, but he had missed that moment and not by any fault of his own. He could not help but hold some things against her, even as he tried to let it all go. Most of it he had gotten over, but there were some things that he was not sure he would ever truly recover from.

"She broke up with him. Why in the world would she want to see him now?" Leigh asked as Tommy heard a car door slam and he opened the front door, slowly and slipped out. Kim was walking around to the backseat already and he saw a small hand wave up at her face as she bent down over the car seat.

"Hey," Kim said as she looked up to see him standing on the front walk, unsure of what he should do. Tommy rarely looked like this, he was always sure of himself, but this was something that he had no idea how to deal with. "Can you get the diaper bag for me? He can be a handful sometimes."

"Sure," Tommy said as he walked over and reached into the front passenger's seat to grab the bag and then looked back to see her holding their child in her arms. "He's beautiful."

"I think he'd prefer handsome, but whatever you choose is fine," Kim said with a smile as Tommy reached out and gently stroked down Caleb's hair as the boy smiled up at him. "This is your daddy."

"I love you," Tommy whispered as he gave her a quick kiss and then kissed Caleb on top of his head. He could not believe that he had already missed so much, but that was something that couldn't be changed. They had to live in the present and try to forget about the past as much as possible. "Come on, we better go inside or my parents might just come out here."

"You haven't told them, have you?" Kim asked as Tommy shot her a guilty glance and she smiled. She knew how hard it was to say something like this to your parents and he didn't have the proof that she had had when she had told her own. "It's all right, you're having to get used to the idea yourself."

"Mom, Dad, Kim's here," Tommy called as he opened the door and ushered her inside.

"Kimberly, it's nice to see…you," Leigh said as Kim offered her a hesitant smile as she looked between her and the baby she held in her arms. Tommy's arm slipped around her protectively as he watched his mother stare at the three of them. He was sure that she was doing the math and comparing Caleb and Tommy in her mind, but she needed confirmation. "Whose baby?"

"Ours," Tommy answered as his mother promptly fainted and Michael quickly walked out into the foyer.

"What did you say?" Michael asked as Tommy was gently shaking her shoulder.

"That she's a grandmother," Tommy said as Michael looked up and saw Kim standing in the doorway with a baby in her arms, looking frightened. This was certainly not the reaction that she had expected to the news. She had expected yelling and screaming, in all honesty, and then an eventual acceptance of the fact that the boy was indeed Tommy's child.

"You take care of her, I'll take care of your mother," Michael said as Tommy nodded and then walked Kim into the living room.

"Can I…" Tommy began as he gently reached for Caleb and Kim nodded her head yes before she passed him over to Tommy. "Hey there, I'm your daddy."

"I was so afraid you wouldn't want anything to do with him," Kim whispered as he looked up from the baby to meet her eyes. "I know, I should have known, but…"

"Don't worry, I know now and I want him, I'll always want him," Tommy said as Kim smiled and then sat back against the cushions. "Was he up last night when you got in?"

"He woke up when I went into his room, he wasn't too fussy," Kim said as she watched Tommy play with the boy and her heart filled with gladness. She had been so afraid that Tommy would not know what to do or that he would reject the two of them without even seeing their son. "You'll be a wonderful father."

"I'll try," Tommy said as he looked up at her and then reached around her to pull her closer to him. "He's got your eyes."

"But other than that he's all you," Kim whispered as she settled her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She enjoyed hearing his heart beat and knowing that this was real, that Tommy was actually there.

"Take it easy Leigh," Michael said as he guided her into the living room and she took a seat on one of the couches and stared across at the young parents' in shock.

"Tommy, when did you find out about this?" Leigh asked as she regained her voice and Tommy looked up from the baby and over at his parents.

"Yesterday," Tommy said as her eyes widened and she blatantly stared at Kimberly.

"Are you even sure that he is your child?" Leigh asked as Tommy glared over at her as he held the baby close. As she gave the boy a very thorough gaze, she realized that he looked exactly like Tommy had at that age. He might be a tad bit shorter than Tommy had been, but that was no surprise considering that Kimberly was barely five feet tall. "Stupid question."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Oliver, I really am. When I found out I was pregnant, I wasn't exactly thinking clearly and I did some things that I regret, but I'm trying to make it right," Kim said as Leigh smiled over at the young woman and she then forced herself to stand, beating off Michael's hands as he attempted to keep her in her seat.

"Well, I guess that it's time I take a better look at my grandson," Leigh said with a smile as she sat down on the floor and then lifted the boy from Tommy's arms as she smiled down at him. "Why yes you are a pretty one."

"Kimberly, what's his name?" Michael asked as Leigh continued to coo over her grandchild.

"Caleb Thomas Oliver," Kim said as Tommy looked down at her and gently squeezed her hand.

"Caleb Thomas, it has quite a ring to it," Leigh said before she turned her attention back to the baby. "You know that the two of you should really try to patch up your relationship."

"Mom," Tommy groaned as Kim smiled up at him. She was sure that that was what he wanted to do, but she wanted to give him the time to do so, because quite frankly she knew that pushing him would be a very bad idea.

"Tommy, I don't think that I will be able to stand not seeing this cute face because the two of you have not solved things," Leigh said as Tommy gave Kim an apologetic glance as she simply shrugged her shoulders. She really did not expect much different out of Leigh Oliver, especially after their dealings in the past.

"I don't expect it to happen overnight Mrs. Oliver, we're going to have to give it some time," Kim said as Leigh looked over at her and then back at Tommy.

"The two of you need to go somewhere alone, without the baby, without any worries," Leigh announced as Kim shook her head no and Tommy firmly agreed. "Why not?"

"Let's just say that we've had all the alone time we need," Tommy said as he lifted Caleb from his mother's arms. "What we need is time, where it's just the three of us and no worries."

"That can be arranged as well," Leigh said as Michael stood up and she then stood and followed him out of the room. "We'll be in the back room if you need us for anything."

"Okay," Tommy said as Caleb reached up for his hair and pulled it with all the force that a four month old could muster. "Ow!"

"He's got a good grip," Kim said as she gently pulled Caleb's hand away from Tommy's hair. "You'll learn to avoid it or at least be able to catch him before he does it."

"I'm worried Kim," Tommy whispered as she looked over at him and saw him gazing at Caleb. "I can't take care of the two of you."

"Not right now, but one day you'll be able to, I have full confidence in you about that," Kim said as she looked up at him and smiled. "You've never been one to sit back and let things pass you by, I don't believe that you'll start now."

"It's just so new," Tommy said as he looked down at the boy in his arms, who had settled his head against his chest. It was around his nap time, although Tommy didn't know that, and Kim was thankful that he seemed to be going down on his own today without a struggle. "He always this quiet?"

"No, it's just close to nap time and it looks like he is about to conk out any minute now," Kim said as Tommy looked over at her in awe. He hadn't realized that Caleb had been falling asleep in his arms until then. "You're good at this."

"No, I'm not," Tommy said as she gently grabbed his hand and he looked over at her.

"I meant it when I said that you would be a wonderful father and you're not letting me down one bit," Kim whispered as she leaned against his other shoulder and closed her eyes. Before long he heard her breathing settle, as well as Caleb's and he let out a sigh. Carefully, he shifted his position to where he could sleep and then settled the two of them against him, with Kim curled into his side and Caleb on his chest. He knew that what lay ahead of them was not going to be easy, but nothing that is worth it ever is.


	6. Chapter 6

Epilogue

He had always imagined what this day would be like when he married the woman that he loved and saw her walking down the aisle towards him. Everything that he had thought it would be like was a great underestimate. Her hair, her dress, the look on her face as she stared at him, it was more than he ever thought he'd see. The only thing that he wished was that he had been there to watch their child come into this world. He was sure there would come a day when they would have more, but not any time soon. They had agreed that they needed to wait before they tried for another child to join their first.

"You're so beautiful," Tommy whispered as he looked into her eyes and she smiled up at him. It had been rough over the last few months, but they had made it and they were standing here today as proof of that. He could barely hear the preacher standing next to him as he stared at her.

"I'm just honored that you still want to marry me, especially after everything..." Kim whispered as he gently squeezed her hand and then looked over at Caleb, who was sitting between their parents, trying his best to crawl over to them. "I love you."

"I love you too," Tommy whispered as the preacher tapped him on the shoulder. "Hmm?"

"I just asked if you wished to marry her, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" the preacher asked again as many people hid chuckles from the two of them. They were in their own world, away from everyone else, lost in everything that they felt for each other.

"Of course," Tommy said as he looked back at Kim and she stared up at him.

"You are the only man that I have ever loved," Kim whispered as the preacher went back to talking and they tuned him out again. "Except Caleb."

"Well, if we hadn't…" Tommy trailed off with a smile as Kim laughed as she looked over at the little boy as well and saw that he was struggling against their parents.

"Let him go," Kim muttered as they gave her an odd look and then placed the boy on the ground and watched as he crawled towards his parents.

"Kimberly," the preacher prompted as she looked over at him and then shook her head.

"I do," Kim said as the preacher gave the both of them a confused look. They almost seemed as if they were in a world all their own, even if it was their wedding day. "Hey."

"Mama," Caleb muttered as she picked the boy up and he clung to her in his little suit. All in attendance could not help but smile at the two of them as they played with their child.

"Well, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," the preacher said as Tommy pulled Kim towards him and kissed her as Caleb reached up, wrapping his fingers around their hair and they smiled when they began to pull away from each other and then found that they could only move a few centimeters.

"Caleb, let go of my hair," Kim said as she looked to the boy in her arms and he just smiled up at her, as she felt Tommy feeling for his hand in her hair so that he'd release her and then she could work on Caleb releasing him.

"Well, once this little boy let's go, I'll present them to all of you," the preacher said as Kim gave him a sheepish smile and she then felt his hands let go of her hair and then reached to untangle Caleb's other hand.

"You are very good at this," Kim whispered to the little boy as he gurgled and she laughed at him. "Let go of Daddy's hair."

"Uh-uh," Caleb said as Kim looked over at him and they could practically feel the glare coming off of her as the boy suddenly seemed to drop Tommy's hair and then scurried into his arms.

"Well, now that that is over, I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Oliver," the preacher said as the two of them smiled as they faced the crowd. Most of them could not remember when they had seen the two of them so happy, so much in love. It gave them a perspective on what they wanted in life, what they really wanted.

* * *

"You're sure that your parents can handle him?" Kim asked as Tommy looked over at her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Of course they can, Kim this isn't the first time we've left him with them," Tommy said as she looked up at him and let out a long sigh. They had gotten married a few days ago and were going off to their honeymoon. Caleb was now a year old and they were slowly getting their feet under them in order to be able to support themselves. Their parents had given them a small loan, enough for Tommy to open a dojo and they were slowly paying them back as they could, while she went to school on a scholarship and he took a couple classes. They both knew that eventually he'd go through school, but right now they had to focus on making what they had work, to support the family that they had. "What's wrong?"

"We've always been only a call away, close enough that we could get there quickly if…" Kim rambled as he placed a finger over her lips and she looked up at him. "It's just the first time that I've ever really left him somewhere."

"If you just want to stay at our place, then I'm fine with that," Tommy said as she looked down and shook her head no. "Kim, it's okay if you do."

"No, I want to actually go away, to have a chance to be with only you. It's been so long since we've had a few days to ourselves," Kim said as he smiled and gently led her to his car. "I'm just going to worry about him."

"I know, you wouldn't be a good mother if you didn't worry. I love you," Tommy said as she smiled and then gave her a kiss. They were back together, back on the right track in their life together, getting to the place where they were happy and in love once again.


End file.
